The Day Gaia Stood Still
by Pokemistress
Summary: It's Halloween 2007 in Gaia and a war between vampires and humans breaks out. ZeldaQueen joins in, but can she fight her friends on the other side? And who will win? The fate of Gaia lies in the balance!
1. Chapter 1: They Came

_Introduction: I'm fairly new to the experience of Gaia Online (I haven't even been there a year yet), but I've always loved it, especially how it seemed to be a world unto itself with people from all around the globe living in it. A world where people could keep dragons or Grunnies and wear a bikini in the middle of November for no reason whatsoever. I came up with the idea for this story after participating in the events of the 2007 Halloween Vampire vs Humans event. I don't own GaiaOnline. I do own ZeldaQueen and any other characters that I invent. That much out of the way, enjoy the story_

**Chapter One**

"I hate the Salon."

It was a rare statement in the world of Gaia, but not completely unknown. And ZeldaQueen was one of the few that used it. Really, she didn't _mind_ the Salon, but her hair took forever to dry and the fact that it was still wet coupled with the time of year (just about Halloween) meant that she was pretty uncomfortable. Still, she was satisfied with her style. It was quite a shock for her to go from her traditional Pink Female Emote to Blonde Ponytail, but it was necessary for her newest cosplay in the Gaia Arena (Fullmetal Alchemist's Winry Rockbell). Most of the stuff was easy. Starter sandals, baggy starter blue jeans, a black strapless bra, easy stuff to find at the Marketplace and most of it was for next to nothing. All that was left was some form of weapon to bludgeon poor Edward with. She was thinking the Sledgehammer item, but the only one she could find was too high for what she was willing to pay.

"Ow! Sorry!" ZeldaQueen muttered hastily. She had been so absorbed in her thoughts as she walked down the sidewalk that she had bumped into some man wearing little except Cool Baggy Starter Pants, Were Claws, a Scion Bling Necklace, and some tattoos. He had a Ubi Parasol in each hand, which caused him to stumble clumsily, unable to catch himself. Even so, he landed with a strange sort of grace that ZeldaQueen wished that she had herself.

"Don't worry yourself my dear. I assure you, it's no inconvenience," he said smoothly, standing up.

"No really, I wasn't watching where I was going and…oh my god…" ZeldaQueen trailed off as she got her first good look at the Gaian. The small amount of clothing he was wearing exposed quite a bit of skin. But now that she looked at it, the skin was pasty and deathly pale. Far too pale for an ordinary Gaian. His eyes, hidden behind a pair of Syaoran Goggles and Gills, were dark and inhuman, narrowed with a strange delight and malice. But it was his mouth that froze her. His lips, curved into a frightening smile, showed two inch-long dagger-like teeth.

"You're a –"

"Say it, my dear"

"No," she gasped, stepping back. "No, there's no such thing." 

"And who told you that?" he asked sweetly. "I assure you, there are many of us."

"No," she whispered.

"We aren't bad," he said softly, stepping towards her, his hand outstretched. "We love our family and there's always room for one more. Please, lovely girl, join us."

"HELP ME!" screamed ZeldaQueen, turning to the other shoppers. "SOMEONE HELP ME! HE'S A VAMPIRE!"

Several curious people turned to look at her and many more shook their heads and continued on their way. But then, ZeldaQueen's screams weren't the only ones heard.

"Really, my dear," the vampire said. "I told you we were a family. Did you honestly think I was the only one?"

Peripheral vision granted ZeldaQueen a terrible sight. Shoppers were screaming and running for their lives and she could see why. Groups of Gaians were appearing now, stepping out of shadows and wherever else they hid. But these Gaians weren't normal. Their skin was pasty, their eyes cold, and their teeth sharp fangs. They walked forward slowly, but with a purpose. Then, as if on a signal, they ran forward, chasing the fleeing human Gaians, snapping their long teeth.

"Now sweet one, will you change your mind? If you go willingly, it doesn't hurt at all. In fact, it is the sweetest sensation ever…"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" With a scream, ZeldaQueen threw her bags of recently-bought clothes at the vampire. The action caught him unawares and he fell back a few steps. As he recovered, however, his charming façade fell to pieces around him. He gave a terrible snarl, but ZeldaQueen wasn't there to hear it. Wishing desperately that she hadn't passed up the Sledgehammer, she raced as far away from the fray as she could. All around her, humans screamed and vampires roared and hissed. She kept her eyes forward, deliberately ignoring the cries and sights. She knew that if she gave in and looked, she'd never be able to leave the Isle de Gambino. ZeldaQueen gulped back tears and pushed herself forward. She had no idea exactly what she was leaving behind and no idea at all of what she was heading for.

_Read? Review? Please?_


	2. Chapter 2: She Saw

**Chapter Two**

The fallen leaves gave wet crunches beneath her feet as she pressed forward. Her lungs burned as they took in breath after breath of the fridge air. But ZeldaQueen knew she couldn't rest. She had no idea what was going on, but it was terribly wrong.

Gaia was always a crazy world, perfect for escaping from reality. But the line had always seemed to have been drawn at dangerous things like vampires. Where had they come from? Were they previously human Gaians? _Were_ they actually dangerous? She never actually saw them hurting anyone…

_No!_ she thought firmly, pushing that last thought to the back of her head. _You saw them. You didn't want to, but it happened. All of those Gaians, attacked in the Marketplace. They almost got you too. And it looks like they got everyone else…_

* * *

The Barton Towns were eerily empty. It was possible to walk for stretches of time across fields and villages seeing only an odd bug or trash collector or maybe someone shaking trees and bushes for gold. But inevitably, there'd be a party or mass gathering that shook the monotony of solitude, reminding all that they were not alone. Today though, it was like a ghost town. As far as she could see, ZeldaQueen was the only one in there, although once or twice she could have sworn that she saw curtains snap over the windows of houses she passed. There was no time to look for friends though. She had to get to her own house, pack her stuff and then…what? Where would she go? ZeldaQueen shook her head. That would come later.

The door to _The Happy Hylian_ was always unlocked fortunately, and ZeldaQueen burst in, not bothering to turn on the lights and hardly registering the gentle click of the door not quite closing, but staying a fraction of a centimeter open.

"Guys? C'mere! Time to go!" she shouted, rummaging through drawers and pulling out items. Within an instant, there was the sound of little peeps as a Baby Chicky, a Cutie Chicky, and a Chubbi Chicky came tumbling up to her. "Everyone here? Good." panted ZeldaQueen. "Keep close to me guys. We're going to need to go out on a…trip for a little while." She reached her hand to the back of her closet and grabbed a bag containing 3163g – her entire savings of Gaia Gold.

Next, she went through her Items. Not a lot she could carry, so she took what was most important to her. Her two MCs – Autumn Glory and Mecha Form – and her Mimzy doll were the first things that she grabbed. Then her Magic Plains Orbs, and Mimzy Aura for possible weapons in the future. She continued to empty her closets and drawers until she finished with her Ubi Parasol and Fan and Alchemist Book. She paused and looked around, glad that she lived in the world of Gaia, which had the unique feature of letting its inhabitants store their possessions in security vaults in thin air, allowing them access to the things later. Finally, ZeldaQueen grabbed the clothes and items that she deliberately left out. She didn't know what tasks lay ahead, but she wanted to be sure that she wore something easy to move in and not too constricting. In about two seconds, she had slipped into her Syaoran's Cloak, Smoke Glamrock Sleeveless Top, Prisoner's Pants, and Neutral Dress Starter Shoes. The Straw Hat she wore would help shield her head while not drawing a ton of attention to herself and the Syaoran's Goggles would loan protection to her eyes. The three chicks she kept at her side. They were her only pets and she didn't trust them to be safe in the security vault. Not that she ever told anyone her password or anything, but still there were too many hackers to be certain.

"Everybody here?" she whispered, ducking behind her bedside table to collect the chicks. "I think it's time for us to…"

ZeldaQueen's voice trailed off as her throat closed off in fear. She could hear it, only slightly more audible than her whispering. The front door had given the telltale ghost of a creak as it swung silently open. Who was there? She couldn't see or hear them. Her heart pounded in fear and her body went cold as she held the chicks in her arms, willing whoever it was to go away.

"Is it certain that she is here?" a voice asked, smooth and unconcernedly. "No one else is in this village."

"The door is slightly open," another replied. "She must be here."

"And?" a third retorted. "That means nothing. She might have left prior, forgetting to close the door in its entirety as she fled."

"Even if that is the case, KOforev&eve swore that he saw her enter and not exit," the second voice said. "And he ought to know. He lived right next door to here and was in the house until moments before."

"Can we assume that his word is sufficient for trust?" the first voice asked.

"Of course," said the second voice. ZeldaQueen could hear the smug tones of someone reminiscing over a great success. "I turned him myself. He told me everything immediately."

ZeldaQueen's mind raced. Those people were vampires, that much was certain. Apparently people _had_ been hiding in Barton Towns and the vampires must have been invading the villages, turning anyone who they found. Had _everyone_ been turned, or were there some survivors? Obviously the latter, if all of the humans were gone, surely there'd be some sign by now…

"Spread out!" the commanding third voice called out, yanking ZeldaQueen from her thoughts. "Find out if she is here or not. If she is, then whoever finds her may turn her."

Escape looked nearly impossible. The house, though upgraded, was still only one room and there wasn't enough space to dodge around three vampires and run out of the door. Even if she did get outside, they would almost certainly chase her down and capture her before she had taken two steps past the doorway. What she needed, was a secret way out, one that would allow her to escape with the element of surprise… the Egyptian Escape Hatch! That was it! It had only been put in a few weeks ago, and conveniently hidden behind her kitchen stove. An idea was starting to form in her head and it just might work…

ZeldaQueen carefully shifted the chicks to one arm and moved to a better kneeling position, so that she could stand easier. When the three vampires seemed as far from her as they were going to get, she stood up in one swift motion.

"THERE SHE IS!" one of the vampires screamed, but ZeldaQueen was already moving. She reached out her arm and scrabbled for the light switch. Her fingers connected and she snapped it. Instantly, she began to blink as her eyes smarted from the sudden light. The vampires, however, covered the eyes and fell to the ground shrieking in pain. ZeldaQueen noticed with interest that they all had Syaoran's Goggles around their necks. Vampires must have sensitive eyes and the tinted lenses would protect them in excessive light. They must have removed them in the darkness though. As she mulled over this, ZeldaQueen made a terrific break for the stove. There was only just enough space to squeeze behind it and the Escape Hatch in the wall, but she made it.

"C'mon guys. Let's get outta here," she muttered to the chicks as she moved down the hatch as fast as she could. It wasn't so easy. The hatch was too small to stand fully upright in and run down. Instead, she had to move in a sort of a crouch. She couldn't crawl either, since that would mean putting down her chicks. But light was at the end of the tunnel.

* * *

_SUCCESS!_ thought ZeldaQueen rapturously as she burst out into the sunlight. But the battle wasn't won yet, she realized. The vampires were still around. She needed to find a place to hide and _fast_. She thought hard. Right now, she needed to go one step at a time. And getting out of Barton Towns was the first step. From there, she could try to escape to Durem or some other area. ZeldaQueen ran straight for the nearby grove of trees. She could use the cover and darkness that they provided to escape. She walked as slowly as she dared. Though the impulse to run for her life was strong, she knew that it would greatly increase her chances of being caught. If any vampires _were_ still nearby, they'd surely hear her crashing through the woods. But so far there seemed to be no vampires about. Was it possible that the three in her house where the only ones in this area?

"Come here, my precious one."

Of course not. Straining her eyes, ZeldaQueen could see it, a Vampire straight up ahead. As silently as she could she steeped backwards and ducked behind a tree.

"We can find you, no matter where you are hidden my darling. Please, just come out"

More pale forms were visible now, slowly and methodically searching for her. Their eyes, no longer masked by the Syaoran's Goggles, gazed unemotionally, piercing the darkness and drawing in all that it hid. Too late, ZeldaQueen remembered _darkness was the vampire's element! She should have stayed in the light, not the shadows!_ She cursed herself, but it seemed to be too late. She jumped as a pasty hand clamped down on her shoulder and a male vampire said "Hello my love. Are you ready to join the family?"

There was no escape. About five vampires surrounded her and she had no protection. All she could do was hold still and hope that it didn't hurt…


	3. Chapter 3: Come to the Base

_I'm sooo sorry it took so long! The muse has struck though, and chapter three is here!_

**Chapter 3**

As the vampires moved closer, blocking out any conceivable hope for escape, ZeldaQueen shut her eyes tight. Hopefully all it would be over fast. One fast bite…

The vampires suddenly began screeching and hissing and ZeldaQueen could sense them moving back. She opened her eyes slowly and gasped. A male vampire was standing directly in front of her. Its eyes were open wide and its face was contorted in pain. It had a wooden stake shoved clean through its chest. A strange, purplish solution dripped from the sharp end of the stick onto ZeldaQueen's shoes.

A long list of thoughts went through ZeldaQueen's head, including _Who's there?_, _What's going on?_, _Is it dead?_, and _Is that purple stuff vampire blood?_, along with a lot of expletives and _Oh my god, I'm going to die!_

Then from behind the wounded vampire, a new voice was heard. "In the name of Gambino and the G-Force, leave this Gaian alone!"

The vampires did not take to this command too well and began hissing and flexing their sharp nails threateningly. "Make us," a female ordered.

"Unless you want to be turned, I suggest you leave," the voice said. "Everyone here is at least at the Hunter level. What are you? A Fledgling?"

For a long moment, it looked as if the vampires would attack the speaker on the spot. Then, to ZeldaQueen's surprise, they began to slink away into the shadows, muttering furiously.

As the female vampire brushed past, she leaned down and reached for the fallen vampire's body. Inches from touching it, she stopped. ZeldaQueen could see the silhouette of the speaker reach out and point a Sword of Aegis threateningly at her neck. "Give me his body," the female hissed.

"Leave now, or you'll join him," the speaker said. He carefully watched her melt into the darkness. Then he turned to ZeldaQueen. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she gasped. "Thank you."

"Why are you out of the base?" he asked. "You don't have any weapons even."

"What base? Weapons? _What's going on_?" ZeldaQueen asked.

The speaker seemed shocked. "You really don't know…" he muttered. He took a step forward and was lit up enough for ZeldaQueen to see him. His skin was a normal Tone 2 and his eyes were a deep brown. But there was more to it than that. The way he spoke, the way he acted, that was what tipped ZeldaQueen off that he was a human. Although the vampires were humanoid and acted humanlike, there was something about them that was different. The way they talked and dressed was far too formal and elegant, as if they were some older being in a Gaian body.

The Gaian snapped his fingers and about ten beams of light shot up, nearly blinding ZeldaQueen. When she could see again, she saw that there were eleven human Gaians – five girls and six boys – and ten of them were lighting up the forest using Nancy Drew Flashlights. "We need to get back to the base now," the male Gaian said. "Those vampires will be gone for a while, but the instant they regroup they'll come back with reinforcements."

ZeldaQueen nodded numbly. If more of those vampires were coming, she wanted out of the way as soon as possible. A female Gaian with spiky orange hair and blue paper kitty ears passed her a flashlight and ZeldaQueen quickly turned it on. As the Gaian humans turned to leave, two of them bent down and scooped up the fallen vampire still lying on the ground. "Isn't he dead?" asked ZeldaQueen.

"No," said the kitty-eared Gaia girl. "If we bring him to the base, we can turn him."

"Turn him?"

"Let's move," the male Gaian interrupted. "We can explain in the base.

* * *

The Gaian Base was a flurry of activity, hasty planning, and grim hope. All Gaians inside seemed to have some form of job to do. Some were running tents that people referred to as "hospitals". Others were organized into attacking units. Some Gaians were in starter clothes and poorly armed, obviously newly recruited. Others were well-equip and seemed to have fought many times before.

"We need a lotta cure, a Healer, and an empty hospital tent, NOW!" shouted one of the Gaians behind ZeldaQueen. He rushed past her, still carrying the vampire. The vampire appeared to be semi-conscious now, and moaning horribly. A Gaian poked her head out of a tent and called out. Without hesitating, the male Gaian carried in the vampire, which was now shrieking and jerking.

"What's going on? Is he going to die?" called out ZeldaQueen. But her voice was lost in the renewed conversations.

"The vampire will be fine," said the kitty-eared girl.

"What's going on?" asked ZeldaQueen helplessly.

The Gaian looked at ZeldaQueen for awhile then asked, "What's your name?"

"ZeldaQueen."

"I'm Motiaka. Let's find an empty room to talk about this."

* * *

Soon enough, the girls found a room and ZeldaQueen collapsed into a chair. "What's going on here? Where did the vampires come from?" she asked.

"We don't know a lot," said Motiaka. "I personally think that Edmund and Johnny know more than they're telling."

"Johnny Gambino? He and Edmund are here?"

"Yep. They were the ones that rescued and organized the human Gaians at the beginning. Just about everyone here was recruited by them. That's why we were so confused when we found you at first. Anyway, the two of them stay hidden away in these top-secret rooms all of the time with Logan, Leon, Louie, and Ian."

"Wait, Ian of Barton Boutique? I thought he was shot!" gasped ZeldaQueen. "And who's Louie?"

"He's been lying low for some time apparently," said Motiaka. "And it's not too clear where Louie came from. We're all pretty sure he's a vampire though."

"If he's a vampire, how come he's here?" asked ZeldaQueen nervously.

"No one's sure. He's well trusted though," Motiaka assured her. "Edmund is mostly doing research though. Into vampires. He's the one who discovered the Cure." Motiaka looked at ZeldaQueen. "You don't become a vampire the instant you're bitten you know. It takes some time. They have some toxin in their fangs that turns you. If you leave it in there for too long, or suffer too many bites, you'll turn into a vampire. But all hope is not lost if you are turned. Using garlic and orchids, Edmund has created a cure for vampirism. If we inject it into a vampire enough, they turn back into a human. Since syringes and needles are harder to bring around, we coat the tips of our stakes with it. That's what happened to the vampire we captured. He's in the process of turning back. A few more doses of Cure and he'll be a human again."

"What happens to the turned vampires we get? Have any tried to turn on us?" asked ZeldaQueen.

"We asked Edmund that. He only told us not to worry about that."

"Okay," said ZeldaQueen. "One more question: What would have happened if the vampires had taken the cured vampire with them?"

"They would have taken him back to the mansion and bitten him until the Cure was out of his system," said Motiaka. "That's why vampires not completely cured must be taken with us. Likewise, partially vampired humans are often abducted by vampires to be taken to the mansion and fully transformed."

"Where's the mansion?" asked ZeldaQueen.

"We aren't told," replied Motiaka. "We only know that it's home to Vladimir Von Helson and his most faithful vampire followers." Her face hardened. "It was Vladimir that started the vampire infection in Gaia. He sent a horde of infected bats flying into the third annual Gaian Carnival. Everyone bitten was turned almost immediately. The newly created vampires immediately aligned themselves with Von Helson and began to attack the humans. Vladimir's the first vampire, so of course they'd listen to him. But he has other lieutenants. Stay away from them for now. They're dangerous. Even the most skilled Slayers think twice before crossing them even briefly."

"Who are they?"

"There's a white-haired vampire that creeps through the shadows. Pray that he never goes near you. If he comes to kill you, you'll only know he's there when you feel his claws gouging your throat. Then, there are Anna Corrine and Marie. They're sisters that look sweet, but are really the most deadly of them all. They don't leave the mansion much either."

"Where are they from?" asked ZeldaQueen.

Motiaka looked somewhat perplexed. "I don't know. Apparently they were here earlier and were known as rivals to the Gambinos, but then they died when a tower fell on their mansion. I came here after that happened though, so I don't know exactly what happened."

Such was a sign of how zany life was. ZeldaQueen took that statement in with only a "huh".

Motiaka stood up. "C'mon," she said. "We need to get you suited up."

"Suited up?" asked ZeldaQueen, standing up also.

"Of course," Motiaka said. "I'm assuming you want to join the fighting, right? Well we'll need to get you some weapons if you're going to join in the game."


End file.
